Editor's picks: the best of Coach in 2017

Working on Coach is a terrific gig: our team learns a tonne of interesting stuff, gets to stand up on our health and fitness soapboxes, and (I think) provide some genuinely helpful advice and inspiration.

Here’s some of the standout examples of those things that we published in 2017.

To lose weight, you need to eat less — not exercise more

Exercise is fantastic for many things: heart health, brain health, mental health. But it's not so great for weight loss — which comes as a surprise to many people. Dr Michael Mosley confirmed to Coach that the best path to losing weight isn't adding more workouts, but adding more nutritious, satisfying foods to your diet (thereby leaving less room for junk). Read the story.

I went cold turkey on coffee for two weeks, and here's what happened

Coach writer Stu Marsh bravely gave up caffeine, and lived to tell the tale… though not without some side-effects. (Meanwhile, I tried to replicate his experiment and failed after just one day, because I am a weak-willed man-baby in the thrall of my vices.) Read the story.

Six scientifically proven ways to get over your ex

Erin van der Meer's break-up advice includes my single favourite line from any Coach story this year (and maybe my favourite bit of advice ever): "Just remember, even Adele got through the split that inspired ‘Someone Like You’, so you’re probably gonna be okay, too." Repeat that mantra to yourself next time you're suffering through hard times. Read the story.

How to keep fit, eat well and stay sane on Mars

One of my most memorable interviews this year was with Carmel Johnston, a soil scientist who lived on Mars for a year. Well, kind of — she lived in the NASA's HI-SEAS habitat in Hawaii, designed to replicate conditions humans will one day face on the red planet. Turns out that, even tens of millions of kilometres away, they'll probably still enjoy chocolate. Read the story.

Over-training, under-recovering and under-eating: the three biggest gym mistakes

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It's great to be fit and active — but it's all too easy to fall into the trap of pushing your body too hard, not letting it rest, and not fuelling it right. Sydney exercise physiologist Dr Bill Sukala told Coach it's one of the most common reasons clients end up coming to see him, "especially in the age of social media where everybody is glued to their Instagram and trying to emulate these anorexic so-called fitness models and trainers". Read the story.

How to be single after a long-term relationship ends

Those who've played the dating game for years have no idea what the rules are — let alone those who've been out of the game a while. Dr Nikki Goldstein shared some valuable advice for those new to modern romance, particularly this heartbreak-avoiding gem: "You should always assume someone is dating other people". (Tinder's in-house sociologist also revealed how to spruce up your online profile here.) Read the story.

Why men should try ‘women’s’ workouts and women should try ‘men’s’ workouts

It's a massive generalisation, but women tend to focus on cardio to lose weight, and men on lifting weights to gain muscle. (In general. There are many exceptions.) But just doing cardio or weights might not be the best path to building the body you want, as I found out when I tried a(n absurdly challenging) Barre Attack class. Inspired by ballet, it's a "women's workout" — but it proves why some of us need to overcome fitness stereotypes and try something different. Read the story.

Why science matters: How to choose the health and nutrition plan that’s right for you

If you're utterly confused by competing diet and health advice, read this article from Kim Gillan: it lays out why "official" guidelines can sometimes seem so stuffy, and what you need to consider before you abandon them for a more trendy or intuitive wellness plan. Read the story.

Why you need to try a ballet class, even if you're the world's worst dancer

My dancing ability can politely be described as "godawful, please stop right now". Yet when I was invited to a beginners' ballet class at The Australian Ballet I leapt (not very gracefully) at the opportunity. My pliés and jetés weren't so hot, yet it was a rewarding and fun experience — again proving the benefits of experimenting with unexplored paths to fitness. Read the story.

The joys of BodyAttack, or, how I learned to love group fitness classes

If you'd told me at the start of 2017 I'd become a proud convert to BodyAttack, I would've scoffed… yet here we are. Give this classic Les Mills class a go if you've never tried it, even if (especially if) you're a weights-only cardio-hating gym rat. It's surprisingly brutal. I now admit I was wrong to look down my nose aerobics classes for all these years, and offer a sincere apology to the presenters of Aerobics Oz Style. Read the story.

Sorry, drinking warm water with lemon will not ‘flush toxins’ from your body

The idea that toxins accumulate inside you and the only way to flush them out is via some complicated detox is one of the biggest health scams going around. As University of Adelaide pharmacologist and toxicologist Dr Ian Musgrave told Coach, your liver and kidneys do just fine at detoxing you. (Other scam words: "alkalising", "chemicals" and "natural".) Read the story.

Full-body exercises you can do anywhere — no equipment needed

Coach's team includes a personal trainer (me) and a Pilates instructor (Danielle Pinkus), and this year we teamed up to shoot a series of short workouts: these videos demonstrate exercises you can do anywhere, without equipment, regardless of ability. Read the story.

Take a Pilates class in less than 15 minutes with Coach fitness instructors Dani Pinkus and Sam Downing: